Matthias and Sally are left bound helplessly in the dimly‑lit room for the entire day, visited only three times to receive food and water. Despite her best efforts, Sally can't avoid having her gag refitted after each visit, and her efforts to escape earn herself another taser shock and her father's sympathies each time.

Shortly before midnight, the cloaked figure returns. "Good news: we're going to get the Crystals tonight. After I have them, this whole ordeal will be over, and you will go free."

Initially, both Matthias and Sally feel relief, but a moment later, they realise that, with no more use for them, the cloaked figure will have no reason to let them live.

For the hedgehogs, it's escape or die.

"Untie the father," the cloaked figure commands the two masked figures accompanying him. "Also, untie the daughter, but keep her gagged and tie her arms behind her back."

The two masked figures obey the command, first untying Sally from the chair and removing the blindfold before binding her arms behind her back, her elbows pulled painfully close to each other. Despite the dim light of the room, Sally is momentarily blinded by the illumination for a few moments as her eyes adjust.

"Remember, if you step out of line, your daughter pays the price," the cloaked figure reminds Matthias as one of the masked figures unties the elder hedgehog.

"I assure you I intend to co‑operate," Matthias lies convincingly.

"Excellent." The cloaked figure turns and leads the group out of the room. As they walk through the corridors, Sally looks at her father with eyes pleading for him to not do anything stupid. Matthias meets her look with one that makes it clear he won't change his mind.

A few minutes later, the group emerges from the hidden bunker into the surrounding forest.

"Gah! Where's that blasted car‽" the cloaked figure growls. "It should be out here, waiting for us!" The cloaked figure takes a deep breath. "Wait here," he commands the masked figures. "Make sure they don't try anything funny," he adds, causing Sally to wince at the thought of being tasered again.

"You can count on us," the masked figure holding onto Sally's arm bindings acknowledges.

The cloaked figure re‑enters the bunker to try and find out where the car is.

"Sally, understand there's no other choice," Matthias informs his daughter.

Sally shakes her head, her eyes begging her father not to do what she knows he's about to do.

"I have to," Matthias replies.

"Hey! Boss said no funny business!" the masked figure holding Matthias reminds forcefully.

"Trust me, there's nothing funny about what I'm going to do," Matthias retorts.

Before the masked figure can react, Matthias slams his elbow into the figure's stomach, winding him. The hedgehog quickly follows up with a hit to the face, breaking the man's nose. As the masked man falls to the floor, Matthias turns his attention to the one holding his daughter. As the masked man starts to shock Sally, Matthias kicks him hard in the flank, sending him tumbling, dragging Sally to the ground as he falls.

Matthias grabs his daughter and lifts her to her feet. "Run!" he commands.

With a determined nod, Sally runs into the forest. But after two hundred feet when she realises her father isn't following. She slides to a halt and turns to see her father attempting to hold off both masked men, a fight he's struggling to win. Knowing she's powerless to help with her arms tightly bound behind her back, Sally is torn between running and returning‑

A single gunshot ends the fight.

Sally freezes, fearing the worst.

In shock, Matthias looks down at his torso to see red soaking into his silver polo shirt. Knowing his life is forfeit, he turns to Sally and mouths a single word: Run.

Sally's world enters slow motion as she watches her father collapse, dying from the fatal gunshot wound in his chest. Just in time, she notices the cloaked figure aim at her: she turns and sprints as hard and as fast as she can, disappearing into the trees as shots fly wildly around her.

"GAAAH!" the cloaked figure yells, discarding his cloak to reveal his armoured viperid form complete with mechanical arms. "Get after her and bring her back alive!"

"Yessir!" the two masked men salute before turning and chasing after the fleeing hedgehog.

"You'll never catch her," Matthias growls. "She's too good."

"That's where you're wrong!" Serpentine corrects. "Anyway, who needs her? I still have you!"

"No, you don't," Matthias grins.

Serpentine's blood turns to ice as he realises his mistake. "MEDIC!"

But it's too late: Matthias Flynn is already dead.